Somaliland President &DP World CEO Address the Signing Ceremony of Berbera Port Expansion

Somaliland President &DP World CEO Address the Signing Ceremony of Berbera Port Expansion

As part of his unwavering determination to developing the country, the incumbent president of the republic of Somaliland H.E. Muse Bihi Abdi attended the signing ceremony of DP World Project on expanding Berbera port.

Heralding a New Era

Unlike other signing ceremonies, this glitzy ceremony attracted many international guests including veteran journalist from 24 countries, distinguished guests, ambassadors and other dignitaries from the neighboring countries.

The former president of the republic of Somaliland H.E. Ahmed Silanyo has also attended this auspicious ceremony to mark the occasion. He is noted for his commencement of the deal at the beginning for the 30-year port concession.

Dp World Perspective

Marking the ceremony, the CEO of DP World Sultan Ahmed binu Suleyman stated his reciprocal desire to the development of Berbera Port. In his remarks, Bin Suleyman said, “This is a landmark day. This is a day of action. This is the day we have been waiting for.”

Elaborating the ample history of Berbera Port and Berbera city in general, Sultan Ahmed said, “Berbera was a very important port for maritime industry for many centuries.”

Mr Sultan has also pledged that his company will do everything possible to develop the nation’s main economic generator as a major hub.

Speech of the President of Somaliland

His Excellency, Musa Bihi Abdi

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and gentlemen,

Yesterday we observed the ground breaking ceremony for the expansion and modernization of Berbera Port. Today, we celebrate the contract awarding ceremony. Together, these two events mark the start of construction of the expansion of Berbera Port. I thank you all for your participation in this event and your interest in this project. I want to thank the Government of UAE, Ethiopia, DP World, Somaliland Ports Authority and everybody who has worked so hard to make this happen. We are proud of the work that has been done, so far, to help make this day possible.

Today is a historic day as we mark another major milestone in the development of our economy and by investing in our infrastructure we will be able to grow for the benefit of our people, the region and beyond. Connecting to landlocked countries such as Ethiopia and the rest of the region will reinforce the firm relationships that now exist and make Somaliland an important player in regional economic integration and growth. The importance of the Port of Berbera as a Red Sea gateway for the Middle East and Africa can now be realized, unlocking our potential as a trade hub and creating jobs across the country.

The Berbera Port expansion and modernization work is the biggest construction project in Somaliland. This, together with the Berbera free zone and the new airport are an essential part of Somaliland’s economic development transformation and linkage to the wider regional economic integration and growth. This did not happen by itself. It is the result of tremendous work, notably by the governments of Somaliland, UAE and Ethiopia.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Development of ports is about brining competitiveness which means better services and better prices; it is about economic integration, and trade facilitation among neighboring countries. We are determined to make Berbera port competitive with the major regional ports.

The Expansion of the Berbera Port is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Somaliland and will contribute immensely to the economic well-being of our country and generate jobs. As announced today, the Expansion work will be carried out by Shafa Al Nahda.

The peace and stability of Somaliland as well as its strategic location attracted UAE and DP World’s huge investment into Somaliland. We welcome this investment and commend the courageous decision of UAE and DP World which will undoubtedly attract more foreign direct investment into Somaliland. We had invested, and will continue to invest a lot of time and effort in creating conducive environment for investment in Somaliland.

Ladies and Gentlemen

With the awarding of the contract, today we are getting much closer to realizing our vision to make Berbera a regional maritime hub in the Horn of Africa, and its development will spur economic growth for the region and boost local prosperity with jobs for the people of Somaliland.

The former British Somaliland Protectorate achieved full independence from the United Kingdom on 26 June, 1960.
On 1 July, 1960, the state of Somaliland united with Somalia, a territory under a U.N.- mandated Italian Trusteeship until that same day, thereby creating the Somali Republic. The Republic of Somaliland restored its independence after the total collapse of Somalia on 18 May 1991 as a result of the civil war of the late eighties and early nineties. The decision was made by the Congress of Council of Clan Elders held in Burao from 27 April to 15 May, 1991. Constitutionally, the Republic of Somaliland is a democratic country with a multi-party system.